Residents living in the West Metro Fire Protection District could experience longer response times starting in January after the district implements a staff reduction as part of its budget cuts.
However, chief Don Lombardi’s wants residents to know that the fire department will still come when it’s called.
“Our firefighters are as good as you get,” Lombardi said. “We are stewards. We have to figure out the best service.”
The reduction, spurred by a will cut $2.2 million from the district’s budget and take effect on Jan. 1. There will be seven fewer firefighters on each shift and the fire engine at Station 14, 10305 W. Chatfield Ave., will be removed. , which the board later approved.
Lombardi said the district is fortunate in that no uniformed officers will be laid off and all losses are through attrition and retirements. One civilian, a training center manager, was laid off.
There will be 20 demotions among the staff, and the overall force permitted by the board of directors will be reduced from 341 to 315.
Also, the department will go from three district chiefs to two, but add a staff member to deal with some of the administrative responsibilities of the chiefs.
Lombardi said the biggest effect will be in response times, most notably when a second unit is needed on a call. Likely that unit will be coming from another station.
“People will be impacted, but we’re trying to lessen that impact and do what our public asks us to do,” Lombardi said.
Several stations will be affected, including the Roxborough station where four firefighters will respond to a medical call instead of five. However, Lombardi said that when those four go out on a call, four people will backfill the station in case a second call comes in. That does not happen now with five members.
The Roxborough station is farther removed from its closest neighbor station than others are, and Lombardi said he heard resident concern over the reduction.
At the Ken-Caryl station, the staff from the fire engine will be reassigned, but a ladder truck will remain on site.
Mike Frainier, president of the West Metro Professional Firefighters Union, said the union was heavily involved in the discussions regarding the changes and firefighters have been kept up to date.
Frainier’s concerns mostly stemmed from response times and the safety of the firefighters as it might take longer for a second unit to arrive.
“Anything that is happening we’re of course not happy about, but we know changes had to be made,” Frainier said.
. Declining property values had reduced income for the district and had it dipping into reserves for several years.
The mill levy failed by less than 1,000 votes. Frainier and West Metro Fire District board president Pam Feely said another mill levy question could happen soon if property values don’t come back.
“It’s tough when you’re so dependent on a roller coaster,” Feely said.
Feely also praised the staff and Lombardi for coming up with the best possible solution to make things work despite the cuts.
“They’ve done a good job of collecting the data they collected to help minimize the impact,” she said.
Lombardi said another concern — after the safety of the public and his firefighters — is losing firefighters to other departments offering better pay. The Denver Fire Department recently began allowing these so-called “lateral” hires, although Lombardi said his department has not lost any firefighters that way yet.
“The last thing I want to be is a training ground for other departments,” Lombardi said.
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or
